For what would seem like months eternal, Dreamcast owners continued to echo the desire for a "killer app" to arrive on the RPG frontier. You'd expect based on PlayStation's history of their initial RPG drought would give Sega a hint not to follow in their footsteps. If it hasn't become apparent by now - RPGs are big business. In the Dreamcast's early lifespan, the releases of Evolution and Elemental Gimmick Gear, while being plausibly entertaining in their own right, left those of the die-hard RPG quotient (like myself) wanting more. I've had my share of dungeon exploration and to be honest, it's not my cup of tea. Thus, like many gamers, I continued to patiently await the arrival of a gorgeous RPG to land upon the Dreamcast platform; an adventure which would deliver vast exploration, an epic story, and above all - memorable characters that exude a surreal degree of personality that could retain my interest in the game until hours end.

Two years later, the RPG drought has come to an end, with the releases of Skies of Arcadia and Grandia 2, both in their respective right were met with much anticipation. Thus countless online forums began to spark with discussions as to which RPG held the higher degree of caliber. Even after many opted to go their separate ways, investing in either SoA or Grandia 2, more talks followed - comparing and analyzing every factor between the two. To cap it all into one phrase, the question is raised:

"Which RPG is the 'killer app' ?"

Looking back...

While I've never fully indulged Grandia (does that make me any less hardcore?); I was quite aware with their development on Lunar/Lunar 2: EB that GameArts certainly was no stranger to delivering RPGs of excellence and integrity. Save for the rants of Grandia folklore, as many of us since its release on the PlayStation platform have been anxiously awaiting a sequel that would excel beyond the original formula. Upon the announcement of Grandia 2, I began tracking its development - gathering up industry reports and volumes of screenshots featured throughout various gaming circulations. It became evident to me that Grandia 2 could very well be the answer Dreamcast owners were looking for. Without a doubt, Grandia 2 improves in the aspects of gameplay and graphic integrity...but is not without a few blemishes.

Looking beneath the surface...

Although I found the story to be very easy to initially get into it...my attention span (as I am sure with others) began to fade. Grandia 2 adopts a much bolder, mature theme that is totally laden with religious overtones. One will discover just how significant this is to Elena when she begins to go through a series of 'episodes' as to her crisis having the soul of Valmar within her. I truly can adore and appreciate drama, but I'd have to say that Grandia 2 tends to overdo it just a tad.

The story behind Grandia 2 may well be deemed by the hardcore quotient as an old hat; as the direction of the game can be likened to "Connect the Dots" or that annual school trip that seemed inescapable when you were a child in pre-school. Initially, such linearity wouldn't bother me, but as I have come to mature with the RPG remnant, I seek flexibility and honestly, Grandia 2 doesn't offer this. You will seek out the tongue, eyes, and practically every part of Valmar and sadly there's no opportunity to escape the path as richly offered in the recent Final Fantasy titles. All RPGs are contingent to being captivating (and entertaining) on the basis of having a solid story. This is a vital element required in RPG titles that can easily lead gamers to engage endless hours of play or a quick non-stop flight to the jewel case. It's just become a common fact that gamers like variety in their games and it gives them more incentive when they're awarded for being diligent and exploring what's underneath the surface. I am sure Square among the other publishers that have done so on occasion realized that and thus, it has become the mainstay in every title that's been developed. Perhaps Grandia 2 was never intended for such aspects to be implemented, but I certainly know that Game Arts is capable of integrating them as they've done with the Lunar series.

Like its predecessor, Grandia 2 offers a host of illustrious characters, rich in personality and abundant in their appeal to the avid fans of the series. Ryudo...the rather reluctant hero of the story is cynical, pessimistic and full of sharp tongued wisecracks that could easily bring rainy clouds to anyone's radiant optimism. Millenia, being the incarnate of "The Wings of Valmar" is full of sass, authoritative, and goes about her own affairs showing very little concern for others. I especially found the relationship between Ryudo and Millenia at times to be amusing (among others such as his initial encounter with Roan - "Lollipop Lane, kid"). Such humorous elements must be commended for Grandia 2 happens to be laden with melodramatic events throughout the game. While many will argue that Skies of Arcadia is packed with tighter characterization, one would be hard pressed to downplay the level of voice acting applied to Grandia 2. Each character is equally backed by talented voice actors that enhance the essence of each character, though a few will perhaps raise a few eyebrows. While Jodi Benson and Cam Clarke (yes, my friends - Donatello from the famous 80's cartoon, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles); have significant credits and both in their own unique manner, truly fit the part, others like Roan seemed misplaced. I took comfort knowing that I wasn't the only industry colleague who thought his voice actor oddly sounds like Milhouse from The Simpsons - most especially when he is pleading for his treasured family jewel. Though in all seriousness, the voice acting overall is quite solid, as periodic interludes, magic spells, and a number of miscellaneous actions (i.e. successfully escaping a battle) are anteceded by voiceovers.

So, do I like Grandia 2 or don't I?

Still, to its credit, Grandia 2 is backed by a strong plotline - it remains on course as the 'the world is in danger, we need a hero to save us' setup. Totally solid and it certainly isn't a perplexing storyline that becomes lost within itself. However, there is little mystery to what is going on...how fun would it be to complete a Sherlock Holmes novel if you already know whodunit? At the midpoint of the game, you will discover a small shocker, but unfortunately Grandia 2 sets course back to its linear path (full speed ahead Captain); and remains that way until you complete the game. (Perhaps I am just become spoiled?)

Though as much as it seems that I found little satisfaction with Grandia 2, I am truly impressed with the battle system, graphic presentation and audio complements - each which are radiating with excellence.

While Skies of Arcadia, Final Fantasy 9, among other games which feature a random battle system where an encounter can occur at any moment, Grandia 2 allows you to select at any time prior to boss encounters who you'll engage. The advantage to this is that you're generally able to control the outcome of each battle by sneaking behind them (thus giving you the opportunity to make a preemptive strike). It will require no great deal of skill to master this, but you'll find that it will become quite effective as you make further progression throughout the game and face stronger enemies. Once you're engaged in battle, all commands inputs revolve around the IP (Initiative Point) meter. This feature navigates the order in which each one of your party members and enemies will take action.

Engaging the battle system...

The battle system, as previously featured in Grandia has been adjusted so that you will also have to take in consideration the distance of your party members from the enemy. You'll discover (especially if you take the time to seek out the illustrated in-game tutorials) that making impulsive attacks must all be executed strategically; since they won't jump in to attack, and then leap back to their originating point as commonly seen in Final Fantasy titles. For this reason, you will need to monitor the point in which the character you're selecting for attack and the distance required to reach the designated enemy to be attacked. After a series of battles transpire, you'll quickly discover how challenging this aspect becomes, as it delivers a real-time atmosphere to each battle, and thus, will give you the incentive to engage every varmint throughout the land.

Further improvements, aside from the battle system, can be discovered in the level design. Grandia 2 takes the aspect of gaining experiencing points (which generally in RPGs, I find becomes quite mundane at some point), and acquiring new skills. As with the original, you'll still be required to equip a mana egg in order to learn new spells. However, you now can accumulate "magic points" during battle. The points in turn can then be used to acquire more spells, improve the efficiency of current spells, or build up a series of points and wait to acquire more powerful spells. Keep in mind that stronger spells will not be accessible until characters have learned the lesser ones first. Furthermore on the subject of improvement, skill points have been included, allowing characters to learn secondary spells which can be learned through Skill Books. The skills will vary in attack power, endurance, movement, hitpoints and even being able to cast magic. In short, Grandia 2 allows opens up a vast world of customization as you see fit. Of course, in order to improve the effectiveness of your characters, and as expressed above - the innovative battle system has been designed in such an appealing manner, you will look forward to every new battle.

The bells & whistles...

Grandia 2 truly delivers in the graphics department, and in more ways than some wouldn't expect. Every town possesses its own level of uniqueness, each that varies with details. Some are truly picturesque as they boast majestic structures, others are filled with gloom colors to portray the depressive mood of the town region. Each time you reach a new area, a brief pictorial of the entire area will ensue, allow you to survey the richness and individuality that was integrated...it's impressive enough to even make a few Squareheads green with envy. Further observation of the various village homes, cathedral architectures, and even the outer world itself, and it becomes apparent that Game Arts integrated a great deal of love and integrity within Grandia 2. Marvel at the stained glass windows of the Granas Cathedral, the books and chairs that shuffle as you run past them. There are so many minor highlights embedded in the game, even to the degree of depth within each NPC (non-playing character) is quite impressive. This level of detail and graphic excellence is only further complemented by the lush visual splendor of the hand-drawn 2D animation that is harmonized with the 3D spell effects, enhancing the battle visual displays. While it may sound odd, one will discover that it works perfectly.

In addition, there's a considerable degree of CG video sequences that will occur during specific battle spells and periodic points in the game. Though they're not of the same level of Square's quality and mastery, they're still exceptionally impressive nonetheless. Character models are abundantly detailed, closely adopting their 2D conceptual art designs, and animated very well. Further details to add uniqueness to each character can be noted in the manner that all the characters eat. Roan appearing to have the highest form of etiquette relies on all his eating utensils, Mareg choosing to simply use his claws, and Ryudo - well...he's a Geohound, he does what he wants.

In regards to the varied soundtracks, each musical piece truly fits the onscreen action, consisting of dynamic and mild midi compositions. While most musical purists (namely the Squareheads again), will probably turn their nose up being the themes aren't composed by the talented Uematsu-san. Personally, I found the Noriyuki Iwadare has established a very enjoyable musical potrait. Themes such as Carbo, Saint Helm, and the remixed track of Cancao do povo are my personal favorites; there's not one week that goes by where I am not enjoying the bonus music CD which is packaged with the game. I only wished that it featured more extras as the Lunar packages.

Final Thoughts

While one can argue as to the elements of Grandia 2 being of lesser depth, characterization, and entertaining value than Skies of Arcadia, it should be noted that both are impressive in their own right. For a few weeks, as I am sure many industry colleagues and gaming circles alike, I held a series of discussions as to why I felt Grandia 2 was such an enjoyable title. Even with its linear direction and slight saturation of melodramatic proportions, Grandia 2 remains uncontested for the most innovative battle system on the Dreamcast to date. Add to that, a solid blend of customized features, an array of impressive visuals, first-rate translation, and a talented cast of voice acting - it becomes clear that the future radiates brightly for Dreamcast owners, especially with Phantasy Star Online just around the corner for the gamers to indulge when it hits stateside. The decision to actually choose among Skies of Arcadia and Grandia 2 is hardly mine to make. Both are enjoyable in their own right, there's little reason NOT to play this game as its guranteed that all Dreamcast players that choose to embrace this game will discover something special.

· · · Bahn